Rotary engine



Aug. 11, 1 925.

C. W. KENNEDY ROTARY ENGINE Filed Aug. 4, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 n m ii m A i 3 fi T :3 WM. ww v NN\ 7 \N u 0 by w w N v N K 5% .Q g 6 a o m A ..w% .WWNM m a V NM I NM.

witness-es Aug. 11, 1925.

C. W. KENNEDY ROTARY ENGINE s She etS-Shaet 2 Filed Aug. 4, 1922 ATTORNEY WITNESS:

C. W. KENNEDY ROTARY ENGINE Filed Aug. 4, 1922 3 Sheets-Shah's 5 WITNESS:

Patented Aug. 11, 1925..

UNITED STATES CHARLES W. KENNEDY, OF NAMPA, IDAHO.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Application filed August 4, 1922. Serial No. 579,701.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLEs W. KEN- NEDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nampa, in the county of Canyon and State of Idaho, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and has for its object the provision of a rotary single cylinder engine of the two cycle type which operates on a gyroscopic principle and which therefore overcomes vibration and is very easy running.

An important object is the provision of an engine of this character which is air cooled and which therefore has the advantage of eliminating the troublesome water circulating system ordinarily employed for effecting cooling.

Still another object is the provision of an engine of this character which is provided with a centrifugally operated automatic speed control device in addition to a manual control, the automatic device being capable of adjustment for varying the engine speed.

A further object is the provision of an engine of this character having novel fuel inlet means and novel mode of treatment for the exhaust.

An additional object is the provision of an engine of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easy to operate and control, efficient and durable in service and a general improvement in the art. 4

With the above and other objects and ad'- vantages in view the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the engine,

Figure 2 is a cross section therethrough looking at the distributor,

Figure 3 is a cross section looking toward the fan,

Figure 4 is a cross section taken through the governor mechanism,

Figure 5 is a cross section taken through the exhaust manifold,

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view of the piston,

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the inlet valve and The heat so as to effect the proper cooling.

Bolted onto the other side of the main castmg is a housing 16 having a hub extension 17. The main casting 13 is greatly enlarged to define a fly wheel 18. Carried by the outer end of the cylinder 14 is a stub shaft 19 which is journaled in one bearing 12 while extending through the housing 16 and hub 17 is a hollow shaft 20 which is angular in shape and preferably square in cross sec tion so as to be stationary. The numeral 21 designates roller bearings, one of which is located within one bearing 12 and the other of which is located within the hub 17 and the rollers are preferably conical to take up end thrust.

The stub shaft 19 extends beyond its associated bearing and carries a pulley 22 and also carries a ratchet 23 engageable by a suitable crank 2a for effecting initial rotation of the fly wheel to start the motor.

The ignition consists of a stationary supply disk 25 mounted against one bearing 12 and oo-operating with a rotary disk 26 secured upon the stub shaft 19 and having a contact 27 with which is connected a terminal wire 28 leading to a spark plug 29 of ordinary type screwed into a suitable opening in the closed end of the cylinder. Any suitable current supply may be used for feeding current to a contact button 30 on the stationary disk 25 so that a spark will be produced at the terminals of the plug at every revolution of the fly wheel. It should be mentioned that the stationary disk is adjustable so that the spark may be advanced or retarded as occasion may require.

Mounted within the housing 16 is a stationary gear 31 with which meshes a gear-32 formed on the underside of an angle plate 33 which is rotatably mounted upon the innor end of the shaft 20 and which'is supported by a lug 3 1 on the shaft 20. The numeral 35 designates a piston which is mounted for reciprocation within the cylinder 14.- and which is provided with the usual packing rings 35 and which has its outer end formed with a deflector 37. lVithin the piston is a socket 88 within which is engaged a ball 39 on one end of a connecting rod ll) which has its other end provided with a socket l1 engaging a ball pin 42 on the angle plate 83.

The numeral designates a carburetor of any ordinary or preferred type which is connected with the outer end of the hollow shaft 20 and which is provided with a throttle control rod a l regulated by means of a lever 45 pivoted on the adjacent support ll as shown at 4:6. Mounted within the inner end of the hollow shaft 20 is an inwardly opening poppet valve 47 which controls the inlet of fuel mixture into the housing and cylinder.

The numeral. desiszgnatcs an exhaust manifold which is of 3- i with its side toward the reel formed with an annular slot l9. This manifold is held stationary by brackets 56 secured to the adjacent upright 11 as clearly shown. The cylinder wall is formed with a port 51 which communicates with a right angulz shaped pipe 52 which leads into pass in) formed through the fly wheel. Leading from the other end of this pe sage pipe 5i which extends int the manifold 48, the slot 19 permitting such passage. At an opposite point the cylinder wall is formed with an inlet port 55 which communicates with a pipe 56 extending to a passage 57 formed throu irgh the fly wheel and communicating with the inner of th housing 16. It should be mentioned that the exhaust manifold provided with an outlet pipe 58 leading to any suitable muilier.

Mounted within the fly wheel at the hollow side thereof is a fan 09 which of course operates to circulate the air about the engine and consequently effect cooling thereof at all times.

Mounted upon the hub l? is sleeve 60 formed with ribs 61 which define a 62, and also formed with a separate rib 63. Pivoted on the outer side of the housing 16 are fly balls 6i which have lingers engaging within the groove 62. It should be mentioned tha the sleeve 60 is slidable upon the hub. Connected with the tin ttle control rod 4st is a fork 66 which engages the single rib 63.

in the operation of the device fuel mixture passes from the carburetor through the hol low shaft 20, past the valve l7 into the housing 16 and then through the passage 57 and pipe 56 through the inlet port into the cylinder ll, this action occurring on the suction stroke of the piston. hen the piston passes beyond the inlet port 55 and closes it the mixture in advance of the piston will be compressed and when the piston reaches its outermost position the charge will be ignited by the spark plug the piston will be forced back and given its working stroke. [as the piston is thus reciprocated the connecting rod will operate to rotate the angle plate 32 and gear 32. Owing to the fact tiat the gear is stationar this will result in rotation of the main casting ccistituting the fly wheel. together with the cylinder and also the housing, all of these parts acting as a unit. During the operation of the piston upon reaching the end of its working stroke the burnt gases tendn to expand will be deflected by the deflector 37 into and through the outlet port 51, pipe 52, passage 53, pipe 5linto the ring like exhaust manifold and theme to the muffler not shown through the pipe 58. This is the complete cycle of operations. lt is obvious that rotation f the fan 59 will operate to cool the motor and that the fins 15 on the cylinder act for the same purpose. The speed controllable manually by moving the lever t vary the position of the rod or arm l l. "lowever the speed is automatically controllable by means of the fly balls 64; which move outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force so that the arms or fingers 65 will more the sleeve 60 longitudinally wl'iereupon the rib Gil engaging the fork 66 will operate to shutdown the throttle to a greater or less extent.

From the foregoing description and a study f the druwi s it will he ap 'iarent that l have thus provided a simply constructed and consequently inexpensive single cylinder rotary gasoline engine in which the gyroseopic principle is well ap ied to eliminate t he usual vibrai ion and to make a very smooth running and silently operated engine. The various features of control and cooling have been dwelt upon above and it is believed that the full advantages and benefits to be derived will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art without need for further elaboration.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

A rotary engine comprising a fixed fuel supply pipe having an offset end portion provided with a valve controlled port. a gear wheel journaled upon the fuel supply pipe and disposed in a plane at an acute angle to the axis of the said pipe, a housing journaled upon the supply pipe a gear wheel fixed to the housing and concentrically mounted with relation. to the pipe and meshing with the first mentioned gear wheel, the housing receiving both of the said gear lii l Wheels, a fly Wheel fixed to the housing and arranged concentrically With relation to the supply pipe, a cylinder fixed to the fly wheel and disposed with its axis in alinement with the axis of the supply pipe, a conduit passing transversely through the fly Wheel and communicating at one end'with the interior of the housing and at its other end with the interior of the cylinder, a piston mounted for sliding movement in the cylinder and a piston rod pivotally connected at one end with the first mentioned gear Wheel at the point concentrically thereof and connected at its other end With the piston for universal movement With relation thereto.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

CHARLES W. KENNEDY. 

